obsidian/wiki/claude-code/figma-mcp-code-connect.md
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---
title: "Figma MCP — Code Connect Integration"
aliases: [figma-code-connect-mcp, code-connect-mcp-integration]
tags: [figma, mcp, code-connect, design-system, ai-codegen]
sources: [raw/Code Connect integration Developer Docs.md]
created: 2026-05-15
updated: 2026-05-15
---
# Figma MCP — Code Connect Integration
When [Code Connect](https://developers.figma.com/docs/code-connect/) is configured for your design system, the Figma MCP server injects real implementation details into the AI's context window — so generated code matches your actual component library, not a generic guess.
## How It Works
The MCP server wraps each connected component in a synthetic `<CodeConnectSnippet>` element containing:
- **Design properties** — current variant, boolean props, text content from Figma
- **Import statements** — how to import the component
- **Component snippet** — actual usage code
- **Custom instructions** — team-defined rules added via Code Connect UI
## CLI Mappings vs UI Mappings
| Aspect | CLI Mappings | UI Mappings |
|--------|-------------|-------------|
| Import source | `imports` field → `source` field → omitted | Auto-generated from mapped component path + name |
| Component name | From your Code Connect file | From mapping config; falls back to Figma design name |
| Snippet content | Full user-defined snippet (prop mappings, file paths) | Auto-generated from design component name + current props |
| Richness | High — exact patterns from codebase | Basic — design properties only (unless custom instructions added) |
### CLI — richer context
- Includes **prop mappings**: how Figma properties translate to code props
- Includes **component source paths**: file locations in your repo
- Direct implementation examples from your codebase
### UI — augment with custom instructions
UI mappings produce basic snippets by default. Use **"Add instructions for MCP"** in Code Connect UI to add:
- Prop patterns and variants
- Accessibility requirements
- Team conventions and edge cases
These appear as **user rules** inside the `<CodeConnectSnippet>`.
## Best Practices
1. **Connect core components first** — highest-frequency design system components have the most impact
2. **Add custom instructions** — especially for UI mappings; documents prop patterns, a11y, and edge cases
3. **Keep mappings current** — update Code Connect when component APIs change in code
4. **Iterate on instructions** — use Code Connect UI preview to test and refine until AI output matches team patterns
## Key Takeaways
- Code Connect + Figma MCP = AI generates code using your real components, not hallucinated ones
- CLI mappings give the richest context (full snippets, prop mappings, source paths)
- UI mappings need custom instructions to reach comparable quality
- The `<CodeConnectSnippet>` wrapper is synthetic — it's injected by the MCP server, not in Figma itself
- Start small: connect the 510 most-used components and add instructions iteratively
## Related
- [[wiki/claude-code/figma-mcp-setup|Figma MCP Setup]] — how to install and authenticate the MCP server
- [[wiki/claude-code/figma-mcp-custom-rules|Figma MCP Custom Rules]] — project-level CLAUDE.md rules for Figma MCP workflow
- [[wiki/claude-code/figma-mcp-avoid-large-frames|Avoid Large Frames]] — selection strategy for efficient MCP output
- [[wiki/claude-code/mcp-integration|MCP Integration]] — general MCP setup in Claude Code
## Sources
- `raw/Code Connect integration Developer Docs.md` (clipped 2026-05-13 from developers.figma.com)